I need some ideas!
Our current backyard chicken set up includes about 20 full sized birds. (Give or take some random silkies and bantams, and four ducks, that don't go in the main pen...) I have two separate coops, about 4x4 ft. each. They each have a chain link kennel run attached with a tarp roof. One coop has a 7x12 run and the other coop has a 10x10 run. They seem happy and not crowded--there are 12 birds in one pen and 8 in the other. I actually didn't even realize we had 20 birds until I counted. It doesn't look like that many! Several of my hens are five years old and they are quite fat and lazy, preferring to sun themselves all day long in a group in the corner rather than scratch and peck. I call one pen The Retirement Home for Feathered Ladies.
Here are the problems:
We're trying to sell our house to move to a few acres of land, but my coops are ugly. The chain link runs are incredibly ugly! I also cannot move the coops, so we'll need to tear them down unless the new owners want them. The other main problem is that the tarp roofs on the chain link pens are not tight enough, they keep getting destroyed by wind, and so the smarter birds can get out which isn't ok in the neighborhood. Especially now that everyone is starting a spring garden. Chickens love nothing more than a freshly planted garden.
So I have to fix this ASAP.
I need to re-do my chicken set up, but cheaply and easily! I'm pregnant and my husband hates building, so it will either need to be really easy or we'll need to hire someone to do it. Total budget is $500, which is not a lot!
I figure there are two options:
1) Get rid of the chain link kennels and tear down one coop, and just build a big run out of wood and hardwire cloth to go with the prettier coop. (Downside is that if/when we move none of it can come with us, so it's not a long term investment. Not sure if our house will sell next month or next year, market isn't great here.)
2) Scrap both coops and kennels and start over with several chicken tractor type things. (There's not space to move them around my yard much, but this would be good because I can take them where ever we move and hopefully have space to move them in a field in the future.)
or...
3) Someone has a better idea? Haha
Help!
Our current backyard chicken set up includes about 20 full sized birds. (Give or take some random silkies and bantams, and four ducks, that don't go in the main pen...) I have two separate coops, about 4x4 ft. each. They each have a chain link kennel run attached with a tarp roof. One coop has a 7x12 run and the other coop has a 10x10 run. They seem happy and not crowded--there are 12 birds in one pen and 8 in the other. I actually didn't even realize we had 20 birds until I counted. It doesn't look like that many! Several of my hens are five years old and they are quite fat and lazy, preferring to sun themselves all day long in a group in the corner rather than scratch and peck. I call one pen The Retirement Home for Feathered Ladies.
Here are the problems:
We're trying to sell our house to move to a few acres of land, but my coops are ugly. The chain link runs are incredibly ugly! I also cannot move the coops, so we'll need to tear them down unless the new owners want them. The other main problem is that the tarp roofs on the chain link pens are not tight enough, they keep getting destroyed by wind, and so the smarter birds can get out which isn't ok in the neighborhood. Especially now that everyone is starting a spring garden. Chickens love nothing more than a freshly planted garden.
I need to re-do my chicken set up, but cheaply and easily! I'm pregnant and my husband hates building, so it will either need to be really easy or we'll need to hire someone to do it. Total budget is $500, which is not a lot!
I figure there are two options:
1) Get rid of the chain link kennels and tear down one coop, and just build a big run out of wood and hardwire cloth to go with the prettier coop. (Downside is that if/when we move none of it can come with us, so it's not a long term investment. Not sure if our house will sell next month or next year, market isn't great here.)
2) Scrap both coops and kennels and start over with several chicken tractor type things. (There's not space to move them around my yard much, but this would be good because I can take them where ever we move and hopefully have space to move them in a field in the future.)
or...
3) Someone has a better idea? Haha
Help!
